Pull Tight

The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book was recommended by a social worker friend. Wouldn't have thought I would have much in common with the author. However, I enjoyed the book very much and will be trying some of the behaviors for making my life more fulfilling. This book was part of trio I read and would recommend from this year. They sort of seem to go together for me. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein - reminds us not to get stuck in rut and that people who pursue many interests are the most successful and happiest. Happiness Project (this book) - suggests behavior changes to make us happier and more fulfilled. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear- How to much more easily incorporate helpful changes into our lives.

If you have a Texas-specific or maybe N Texas-specific bucket list, there is a good chance eating at Mary's cafe in Strawn, Texas is listed. As the sign says, world-famous chicken fried steak is the calling card. Dad and I were driving back from Abilene on Friday and gave it a try. Dad had tried to go once before with a camping group, but the long wait for a table steered them away. Large portions, busy place, friendly patrons and staff, and small-town abience probably make it worth a stop.  The food was disappointing but still worth the stop. The better reason to visit Strawn would be for Palo Pinto Mountains State Park. It is far enough from the big city lights to offer excellent star gazing and astronomical groups frequently go there.  My personal bucket list includes going to a stargazing party here.  Perhaps I will find some friends with telescopes and organize my own. And, I will probably give Mary's one more chance.

“ Our work preferences and our life preferences do not stay the same, because we do not stay the same. ” ―  David Epstein,  Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World A must-read for everyone, but even more important for younger readers. A very readable enjoyable book illustrated with a series of stories, showing increased success and increased satisfaction with life by trying and doing many things versus specializing at an early point and never changing. I think of the impact this book could have on lives. It is the book for our times the same way Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence was in the 1970s. If you read, enjoyed and spent time thinking about the Undoing Project, this should be your next book but read anyway, you will be glad you did. “ In a wicked world, relying upon experience from a single domain is not only limiting, it can be disastrous.”  range https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41795733-range

With the regular exercise I have done the past 3+ years, the number of aches and pains has diminished greatly.   Camp Gladiator (boot camp) and Zesa Yoga have improved my strength, flexibility and general health to a great extent.   Recommend to all. This morning was the exception, got a catch in my back and struggled to get up from my workout mat at boot camp.   Probably digging a new garden with a shovel over the weekend caught up with me.   Some ibuprofen and CBD oil improved the pain and stiffness. Will probably make it to yoga this afternoon. Whenever I have back pain, I always remember this story told to me by my great uncle Bill Hadley https://pulltight.blogspot.com/2012/07/play-ball-revisited.html .   Uncle Bill was a one man trucking company and was always very busy.   One day sometime in the 1950s he somehow strained his back so bad he was almost immobile.    My grandfather Ben Wann, https://pulltight.blogspot.com/2006/04/some-dogs-i-have-known.html his brother in-

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/03/12/horse-transported-in-pickup-bed/ This article caused me to remember my grandfather Ben Wann.  Apparently, he would haul Smokey, his palomino mare around the ranch in a pick up without any kind of frames/sideboards in the 1950s. Can't remember seeing him haul the horse in this manner, but this has been confirmed by other sources. I rode with him on this horse as a child.  And, also recall many times riding around with him in his old Chevy pick up truck looking through his cows and/or goats. Grandpa was gifted in mathematical ability and would impress me by counting his goats by 6s and 7s as a herd of a couple of hundred came running to meet us.